Lance Bass Brings ‘The Boy Band Con’ to YouTube and Select Theaters

A closer look at how boy bands of the 90s were scammed by a trusted figure.

By Heather Brooker •Published April 2, 2019•Updated on April 2, 2019 at 1:24 pm

What to Know

The film will be released on Youtube on April 3rd.

Lance Bass and Pilgrim Media Group produced the documentary.

Lou Pearlman was a producer for *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and O-Town.

When you think about the boy band craze of the late 90s early 2000s you might not think about the drama happening behind the scenes. While groups like *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys were tearing up your heart, they were also getting ripped off by their producer and mentor to the tune of $300 million.

That’s the story former *NSYNC member Lance Bass wants to tell in his new documentary “The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story.” The doc centers around the life of of famed boy band impresario Lou Pearlman. The film tracks his life from his childhood in Queens, New York through discovering mega-bands *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, and chronicles his later life, including his perpetration of one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history.

This is the first time this story has ever been told from the perspective of the people involved: from the boy band members themselves, and the Ponzi scheme investors to Lou’s childhood friends. Interview subjects include artists Lance Bass, JC Chasez, and Chris Kirkpatrick(*NSYNC); AJ McLean (Backstreet Boys); and Aaron Carter, Nikki DeLoach (Innosense) and Ashley Parker Angel (O-Town).

The Scene

Bass says he wants to tell this story as a sort of cautionary tale to up and coming musicians: don’t do what he and his bandmates did. He wants to make sure no other kids with dreams of stardom end up having their money taken from them by someone who is supposed to look out for their best interests.

“The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story” premiered on March 13th at SXSW in the 24 Beats Per Second" section of the film festival and YouTube Originals will be releasing it globally on April 3rd, 2019. It’s also showing in select theaters April 2nd and April 3rd. You can find more information here.

This film is produced by Pilgrim Media Group and Lance Bass Productions and directed by Aaron Kunkel.